Women's Lacrosse

Women’s Lacrosse Hosts New Hampshire Saturday in America East Opener

BALTIMORE—The UMBC women's lacrosse team (6-3) opens the America East portion of its schedule Saturday afternoon when it hosts New Hampshire (5-3) at 12 p.m. at UMBC Stadium. The game can be seen live at UMBCRetrievers.tv.

Last Time Out: The Retrievers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday evening with a 15-8 loss to sixth-ranked Loyola. Senior midfielder Amanda Pappas (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) led UMBC with five points on four goals and an assist, while senior midfielder Ashley Stodter (Silver Spring, Md./Good Counsel) notched her third hat trick of the season.

On the Wildcats: New Hampshire is 5-3 on the season and has won four of its last five contests following a 20-4 victory over Presbyterian last Friday. Midfielder Amber Casiano led the Wildcats with six points on four goals and two assists. Goalie Kate Gunts made eight saves between the pipes. Keagins leads UNH with 22 points on 14 goals and eight assists, as well as 25 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers. She leads the America East in both ground balls and caused turnovers. Kathleen O'Keefe has played the majority of the minutes in the net this season, posting a 9.27 goals-against average and a .369 save percentage. As a team, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents, 83-68, but their 10.38 goals-per-game scoring average is the second-lowest in the league. New Hampshire, which was picked to finish fourth in the America East preseason poll, leads the conference with 19.0 ground balls per contest and 12.0 caused turnovers per outing and ranks second with a 9.50 GAA, but ranks last with 9.12 draw controls per game and 5.62 saves per game.

Inside the Series: UMBC has never defeated New Hampshire in nine tries. Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Retrievers, 16-8, in Durham. Midfielder Alicia Krause (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron/Duquesne) led the Retrievers with three points on two goals and an assist, while JoJo Curro led UNH with six goals. UMBC goalie Kate Quick recorded seven saves, while O'Keefe stopped eight shots.

Pappas Steps Up: After scoring just seven goals through the first six games of the season, Pappas has tallied 14 in her last three contests, including six against Manhattan on and four each against Mount St. Mary's and Loyola.

Helping Hand: Senior attack Erika Braerman (Fallston, Md./Fallston) is tied for sixth place all-time at UMBC with 52 career assists.

UMBC Career Assists

1. Jen Dragoni, 2001-04 63

2. Laurie Linnell, 1984-87 58

3. Laura Robinson, 1984-87 57

4. Jamie Gerhart, 1999-2002 54

5. Jenny Held, 1990-93 53

6. Kelly Fahey, 2004-07 52

Erika Braerman, 2008- 52

8. Jackie Abendschoen, 1985-88 50

9. Kelly Fiorani, 2003-06 49

10. Meghan Keelan, 2005-08 46

Century Mark: Braerman became the 30th Retriever ever to record 100 career points on March 2 against Towson, and Pappas became the 31st on March 5 at Duquesne. Pappas now has 119 points, while Braerman has 116. They are the ninth set of teammates in UMBC history with 100 points apiece and the seventh in the last 11 seasons. In addition, junior attack Emily Coady (Westminster, Md./Westminster) is just one point shy of reaching the century mark.

Home Sweet Home: The Retrievers saw their four-game home win streak snapped on Wednesday against Loyola, but they are still 4-1 at UMBC Stadium this season, averaging 13.0 goals per game and allowing just 8.4.

First Time for Everything: Several Retrievers have tallied their first career goals this season. Freshman midfielder Kristen Bilney (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) scored her first career goal at Florida on Feb. 23, while midfielders Jennie Ballenger (Mount Airy, Md./St. John's Catholic Prep) and Taelar Errington (Valley Lee, Md./Leonardtown) each scored the first goals of their career against Manhattan on March 13.

Streaking: Stodter's 11-game goal streak was snapped on March 13 against Manhattan, but she has tallied a point in 14 straight games dating to April 10, 2010. In addition, Krause has found the back of the net at least once in all nine contests so far this season, but Braerman's eight-game streak was snapped on Wednesday against Loyola. Coady has also scored a point in seven straight games, while Pappas has done so in five in a row.

20/20: The 20 goals scored against Manhattan on March 13 were the most UMBC has scored since March 29, 2010, a 20-7 win against the same Jaspers squad in Riverdale, N.Y. Combined with the 15 goals scored against Mount St. Mary's last Saturday, the Retrievers scored 35 goals March 13-19, their best two-game stretch since combining for 38 against Iona and Stony Brook March 17-21, 2009.

Taking on the Best: UMBC will face three teams that were ranked in the top 20 in the most recent IWLCA poll, including No. 6 Loyola (March 23), No. 9 Florida (Feb. 23) and No. 14 Albany (April 30). So far, the Retrievers are 1-2 against ranked opponents this season, falling to the Gators, 16-6 and to the Greyhounds, 15-8, but upsetting then-No. 17 Towson, 10-9. UMBC is 7-86 against ranked teams since 1988 and has never beaten more than one ranked foe in the same season. The highest-ranked opponent the Retrievers have knocked off was 11th, accomplished three times (Boston University in 2006, George Mason in 2000 and Old Dominion in 1999).

Beasts in America East: Senior goalie Natalie Rau (Forest Hill, Md./Fallston) ranks third in the America East with a 9.14 goals-against average, and she is fifth with a .434 save percentage… Braerman ranks fourth in the conference wit h1.44 assists per game, while Krause is tied for seventh (1.0 apg) and Coady is 10th (0.89 apg)… Braerman also ranks fourth in the league with 3.33 points per game, while Krause is eighth (2.89 ppg) and Pappas is 10th (2.78 ppg)… In addition, Pappas is tied for sixth with 2.33 goals per game, while Stodter ranks 10th (2.11 gpg)… Finally, sophomore midfielder Lindsay Cox (High Bridge, N.J./Voorhees) is tied for the league lead with two game-winning goals… As a team, UMBC is the third-best defense in the America East, allowing 9.33 goals per game… The Retrievers rank second in the league in shot percentage (.455) and have committed the second-fewest turnovers, just 12.89 per contest.

Among the Best: Rau entered the week ranking 16th in the NCAA in save percentage and 17th in goals-against average, while Braerman was 17th in the nation in assists and 25th in points.

Dawg Bites: UMBC starts the season 6-3 for the second year in a row… Braerman took home the season's first America East Player of the Week award on Feb. 21, the second such award of her career… Sophomore defender Jamie Fahey (Baldwin, Md./Loch Raven) earned the conference's Defensive Player of the Week award on Feb. 21 and March 7… UMBC was a perfect 3-0 against Colonial Athletic Association opponents this season, defeating George Mason (19-7, Feb. 11), Towson (10-9, March 2) and Delaware (8-5, March 9)… Braerman leads the Retrievers with 30 points on 17 goals and a team-high 13 assists… Pappas is tops on the team with 21 goals… Fahey has picked up a team-high 19 ground balls and won a team-best 14 draw controls, and she is tied with senior defender C.J. Durham (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) for the team lead with 11 caused turnovers… UMBC was picked to finish third in the America East preseason poll.

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